Portable bathtub



Dec. 19, 1933. c. F. MATHER PORTABLE BATHTUB Filed April 25, 1932 Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to improvements in bathtubs and particularly to a bath-tub designed for use where space is limited and hot and cold water plumbing is lacking.

The main object is to provide a simple, highly eflicient and portable bath-tub of the class described embodying a number of features hereafter fully set forth reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a top view and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a foot end view of the tub and Fig. 4 a head end view. V

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the tub in upright position, resting on the foot end.

Referring to the drawing by reference letters, A represents the body of the tub which is of the usual elongated form and the head end thereof sloped as B while the foot end is vertical. The said foot end is designated C. D is the usual perimetral rounded flange at the top of the tub.

The tub is made of any of the usual materials such as cast iron or pressed steel and my improvement embodies certain integrally cast or constructed features of which E is a pair of raillike runners arranged longitudinally under the main body of the tub and spaced apart far enough to insure stability of the tub when the latter is in position for use as in Figs. 1-4 inclusive. These runners are rounded upwardly at the head end of the tub and merged thereinto as at E2 in Fig. 2, the said runners at the foot end being curved or rounded at E3 upwardly to extend in an upright plane at right angles to the first described runners, said upright part comprising a fiat shoe designated F parallel to and outward of the foot end C of the tub.

The shoe F is provided centrally with a vertical trough or inward channel G in which may be suitably fixed an overflow pipe H communicating at J with the interior of the tub at a predetermined level. The outer face of shoe F is in a common plane with the outer rim D of thetub and parallel to said rim provided with an elongated depression K to provide a convenient hand hold. At the convergence of the bottom of the tub and the foot end C I provide a suitable outlet or drain aperture L normally closed by any suitable type of plug M (see Figs. 2 and 3). Or a drain hose (not shown) may be connected to said outlet means.

It will now be readily understood that when this type of tub is resting on a floor it is readily moved on its runners, to any desired location, said runners serving as skids. To facilitate moving of the tub I provide the skids with registering pairs of holes in which may be fixed in each pair a shaft P on each of which near each skid is rotatably fixed a roller or caster Q.

As a portable bath-tub my invention as above disclosed needs no further description. It will now be readily and further understood that after my tub has been used and the water drained, the tub is moved to any desired or convenient place to be stored for later use. It is then merely raised at its head end until in vertical position, this raising being facilitated by merely rocking it on the curved rail parts E3 and when the tub is raised to vertical position shown in Fig. 5 it rests firmly on the shoe area F at the foot end of the tub and occupies a minimum of space.

The shoe F and rails E may be of hollow cast construction and preferably integral of the tub itself.

Various modifications may be embodied without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the skids may be shorter than shown, provided in numbers more than a pair and in other positions than those shown. Standard hot and cold water taps may be fixed in this type of tub.

The foot end of this tub should ordinarily be comparatively heavy because of the thickness of the shoe parts F this being an advantage as it provides more stability to the tub when it is in the raised position and accidental overturning of the tub is practically eliminated.

I claim:

1. In a portable bath-tub a number of supporting members at the under side of its bottom supporting the latter in spaced parallel relation to a floor, and said tub provided at its foot end with a supporting shoe in an upright plane at right angles to the bottom of the tub, means connecting said support members and the end shoe integrally and said end shoe formed with a fiat face to support the tub rigidly on a floor when raised to upright position, said bottom and end support members of the tub comprising an integralpart of it and formed at their convergence in a curvature, as shown and described.

2. In a portable bath-tub having supporting means at its under side to support the tub in spaced parallel relation to a fioor; said tub formed at its foot end with a supporting shoe in an upright plane at right angles to the bottom of the tub, said end shoe and the first described supporting means connected integrally and said end shoe formed with a fiat face to support the tub rigidly on a fioor when the tub is raised to upright position, said end shoe provided with a trough, and overflow conductor means in said trough.

CHARLES F. MATHER. 

